The Face of a Hero
by Robin Lee
Summary: A tale of beginnings....of the love between brothers, of loyalty, of adventure, of romance....and discovering an unlikely destiny.
1. Forever

Author's notes: Yeah! I'm back from the dead! Or back from my Disney-high...(why oh why does Prince Charming have to be so hot....and so flaming gay???) But anyway...here is a short novella (make me proud, tell me you all know what that is) about none other than the Marios. If i say anything else I'll give something away, so read already! It's good to be back! ^_^ 

  
  
  
  
  
"Mama!!

"Luigi!!"

"Mario!!"

Three voices called out at different intervals, each carrying their own tone of voice. One was helpless, one was angry, and the other was scolding. Anna marched into the bathroom where her sons were engaged in a tussle. The eldest, having ten years advantage of strength, held the younger upside down by his ankles, trying to fit his head in the toilet.

"Mario, put your brother down and leave him alone!"

"Mama, he ate my homework!"

"Did not!" protested a freckle-faced boy, his mouth full of paper. 

"He did too! It took me two hours to finish those equations!"

"Well, he threw my socks out the window!"

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Tell him to put me down!" Luigi grasped the seat of the toilet, pushing himself away from the waters below.

"Oh, I'll put you down all right. Put you down in the sewers where you belong, you little rat!"

"Aaaaauuuggggh!"

"Both of you, stop it!" Anna screamed loudly and stomped her foot.

The brothers were equally startled to hear their mother so forceful and angry. Mario almost dropped his brother and the paper fell out of Luigi's open mouth.

"Now," Anna breathed deeply, trying to regain control. "I want both of you to leave each other alone for the rest of the night…do you think you can do that?"

"…Sure," mumbled Mario as he righted his brother.

"Okay," whispered Luigi.

"Good," sighed Anna. "I want you two on your best behavior tonight…your father is picking me up right after work and we are going out."

"Out? Where?" Mario and Luigi demanded simultaneously. They actually took the time to notice her apparel was dressed for something nice.

"Just for dinner. It's legal to do that, you know."

"Great. I have to stay here with _him_?" 

"Mario, it's just for a couple of hours. We'll be back around midnight."

"You might as well chain us together so I can always look after him."

"Mario, don't take that tone."

"Fine," he growled. "Go have your dinner while this rat of a brother you gave me ruins my life." Exasperated, Mario threw up his hands and slammed his door behind him. Tears sprang to Luigi's eyes as he turned and faced Anna.

"Mama, I don't want you to go."

"Oh, baby it's not forever. Just for a couple of hours. You'll be fine with Mario."

"But what if the pipe-people eat me?" 

"The pipe-peo-….honestly, Mario! Stop telling your brother stories!" The door below opened, and from upstairs, Luigi could see it was his father.

"Come on, Anna. We have a reservation."

"Coming, dear. Now Luigi. You be good and stay out of Mario's way. Just don't do anything to bother him, all right?" She kissed the top of his head briefly and hurried down the steps. "Go to bed when you're supposed to…no candy corn!"

"All right, mama." The door closed behind them, and Luigi watched their shadows leave the front step. Mario's door opened and he charged past his brother downstairs and into the kitchen. Luigi followed him slowly. 

"I don't have a good feeling about this, Mario."

"What do _you_ know? You're six."

"Well, I still don't like it."

Mario shrugged, chewing on some bread. "Want a sandwich, Weege?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah what?"

"Yes please."

"What kind?"

A long pause, then Luigi exploded into a loud. "Pepperoni and cheese pizza!"

"Bird brain. You don't put pepperoni and cheese on a sandwich."

"Pepperoni and cheese! Pepperoni and cheese!" Luigi chanted.

"Fine fine! But all we have is American cheese and salami."

Luigi giggled excitedly to himself, anticipating his dinner. "Yum!"

"You are so weird."

~*~

Mario's bedroom door opened a crack, and a sliver of light fell on his bedsheets. Luigi tiptoed into his room, so quietly that all could be heard were the raindrops on the window. He crept to Mario's bed, put a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. 

"Mario." His voice trembled a little. "Mario, wake up."

"Mmm…" His older brother rolled over and faced him. "Whutymizit?"

Luigi glanced at the clock helplessly. "…it's late."

Mario picked up his alarm and stared. "No, it's early. Go back to bed."

"No, Mario don't go to sleep." Luigi's voice rose on the last word, so Mario sat up and started paying attention. His little brother's eyes were tearful and his lower lip trembled. Mario sighed. "All right. Hop in."

Luigi climbed into his bed and scooted as close as he could to Mario, squeezing the latter between himself and the wall.

"What's keeping you up?"

A pause, then Luigi shrugged.

"What…your 'bad' feeling?"

Another shrug.

"Must be the pipe-people, then."

"Mario…" Luigi whined pitifully. 

"I warned you not to take that bath, tonight. Now they can smell you all over the bath-water…"

"Mario, stop!"

"They loooove the smell of little Brooklyn boys!" Mario grinned widely, enjoying the joke. "Next time you use the tub, they'll suck you down with them, like this." Mario made a fish face and crossed his eyes, hoping to make his brother laugh. Instead he received a frightened sobbing cry.

"Awe, come on, Weege. You know I make that stuff up."

"But…but what if it's true?"

"It's not."

"But what if it is?" Luigi pressed, sniffling.

"Then…then I won't let them get you. I'll take the plunger from the cabinet and swing it left and right until they all get sucked back down into the tub. Then I'll have dad duct tape the drain so they can't come back."

"Really?" Luigi stared at him with his big brown eyes, in awe of his brother as if he were a better hero than Superman.

"Of course I would. I wouldn't want them to hog a little rat like you all to themselves." Mario tickled his brother until he could hardly breathe. Luigi finally managed to giggle out "stop!" at the same time the phone rang. Mario didn't hear it until it was almost too late. He raced to the kitchen, wondering who would call at such an hour. 

"Hello? Yes, who is this? Oh…" Mario's eyes searched the floor in confusion. "…why would something happen to them? …Yeah, I know it's raining!" He tone was impatient and sarcastic; he hoped it covered the fear in his voice. He glanced at the clock. It was 1:32. He tensely waited and listened to the voice on the other line. Then his face grew pale. "What." His flat voice made the word sound like a statement more than a question. "What-no…no you've got it all wrong. No, they said they'd be home at 12. They said…Luigi! Go wake up mama and dad!" A shadow upstairs willingly obeyed and walked to his parent's room. "No, I didn't hear them come home. That doesn't mean they're not home…I don't care if they are in the hospital. Anyone could look like them…yeah, well, maybe you need some glasses, pal!"

"Mario."

"What?" he snapped, looking upstairs. His brother stared at him, frightened again.

"They're not here."

A terse pause, then Mario slammed the phone back on the hook and ran to open the front door. Cars parked along the sidewalk…but none of them were theirs. 

"Did mama and dad come home yet?"

"N-no, Weege. Not yet. Come on, we're gonna call…" Who to call? The restaurant? No, they'd be closed. The hospital? More bad news. _Come on, Mario. Think rationally._

"We're gonna call a cab."

"Where are we going?"

"To find mom and dad."

~*~

A half hour later, Mario pushed through the doors of the hospital clumsily while carrying his brother wrapped in a quilt. He ran to the front desk and caught his breath. 

"Where can I find…Anna and Martin Mario?"

The woman behind the desk seemed taken back, but judged from the looks of them that they were in the wrong place. She pointed with a long finger and told them, "Try the emergency room."

Mario was gone in a flash down the hall, his brother in tow. He slammed through the double doors and glanced around quickly, desperately searching for a doctor. Finally, someone in white.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, son?"

"Can you help me find Anna and Martin Mario?"

The man stopped and glanced behind him, motioning towards a nurse. "Jan. Help these boys find Anna and Martin."

"What were their last names?"

"Mario," growled Mario through his teeth, utterly shocked by the lack of interest in the doctors thus far. The nurse found a chart and they followed her through the bustle of the ER. Sick and injured, young and old, lay in beds either alone or surrounded by family. Luigi buried his head in Mario's neck and covered his ears, an action he usually performed when something frightened him. 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the nurse came to a glass room, one of few in the hospital. Mario's breath suddenly came shortly; doors opened, doctors surrounding a bed…one of them noticed Mario.

"Should you be here, son?"

"Yeah, you're the ones that called me to come here! And stop calling me son!"

"All right, all right, just calm down. We just want to know if you're Mario Mario."

"…Yeah." Mario saw his mother's face through a gap in the white coats and uniforms. He fell silent and stepped forward. "She okay?"

"They got hit on the driver's side…she has a broken hip and some nasty cuts-"

"Where is my father?" he demanded, jaw clenched at their impertinence to avoid his questions. 

One man approached him. "Your…your dad was driving. He didn't make it…I'm sorry."

Mario's head was swimming. He thought we might have passed out if Luigi hadn't stirred, removing his hands from his ears. Mario quickly walked back to the door, turning so Luigi couldn't see his mama. They sat down in a small couch together outside the room.

"Mario, what's going on? Where's mama and dad?"

For a second, Mario couldn't answer him. He was the older brother, he was supposed to be able to answer everything. Sixteen years old, and he was supposed to know everything. Sixteen years old…and his father is dead from a car accident.

"Mario?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's mama?"

"She's…she's hurt, Weege."

"Real bad?"

"Yeah…real bad."

"What about dad?"

Mario's eyes misted over; he didn't want to answer his brother. But he would rather tell him than the creep doctors staring down at his mother.

"He's…he's gone."

"Gone where?" asked Luigi, lip trembling again.

Mario hugged him tightly, feeling himself shaking. "He's gone…to heaven."

Luigi began to cry. "When is he coming back?"

"That's the thing Weege." Mario stared into the hallway, into thin air as he answered flatly. "Once you get to heaven, you can't leave."

"I want mama! I want mama!"

Mario felt like screaming and shaking the sobbing child, "I want mama, too! But I doubt she'll make it either!" He took a deep breath and whispered in his ear. "I know, Luigi. I know." A nurse came out of the room and Luigi covered his ears, hiding his face again. Mario glanced at her. "What now?"

"It's your mother." Mario didn't even notice the doctors in the room behind them…didn't hear their frantic orders or see their actions. Now it was too late; he didn't notice them until they began leaving the room, faces downcast. Mario didn't dare to ask. He only shook his head.

"No. No, no no…" Tears sprang to his eyes and he clung more tightly to Luigi. "No…"

"Mario?"

"No…"

"Mario!"

"Mama…"

"Mario, wake up!" 

"Huh?" Mario sat up in bed, glancing left and right. His cramped room at their small apartment, his younger brother staring down at him. 

"You all right, bro?"

"Uh…yeah." He ran a hand down his face and through his mustache, embarrassed. "Yeah, fine."

Luigi stood by uncomfortably, then finally spoke softly. "I miss 'em too."

"You barely knew them," Mario said without thinking. Insulted and hurt, Luigi got off the bed and started for the door. "Luigi!" Too late; he had already slammed the door behind him. Mario cringed at the sound, reminding himself to watch what he said.

He still felt that it was true, though. Mario had lived with his parents longer than his brother did…why should he care that they were gone? He had less memories…he had less to miss. Luigi should feel grateful.

Mario only wished to remove his feeling of guilt that the last things he told his mother were angry, hurtful words referring to the "rat" his mother gave him. Since her death twelve years ago, Mario promised to himself to treat his brother more like a gift than a curse. Maybe it was time he lived up to that promise again.


	2. Find Your Way

Author's Notes: Okay, okay, the few of you who LOGICALLY reviewed the first chapter (what-i-don't-understand can go kiss my butt) are in for some releif from the all the drama...

...

.....

Allright, I'm lying. Not exactly much relief. Maybe just a little. Enjoy!

  
  
  
  
"Luigi, come on, we've got customers waiting."

"All right, all right," his brother snapped, mouth full of toothpaste. 

Mario raised an eyebrow as his brother spit in the sink. "You waiting for a sexy lady with plumbing problems?"

"It's called hygiene, Mario. You should try it sometime."

"Yeah yeah. Hurry up and get in the van."

"So who is it this time?" asked Luigi while they drove, clearly bored.

"Mr. Gronder…or something like that."

"Never heard of him."

"That can be a good thing. New customers could keep calling us and become regulars."

"Or we could fix their problems so well the first time they won't need to call us back."

Mario let his brother's flippant attitude slide, since he knew he deserved it from the night before. Besides, it was something eighteen year olds did best: acting cool and acting up. "Here we are," he said shortly. "And turn your hat back the right way."

"I _like_ it backwards," he muttered, putting a hand on his green hat as if it would blow away.

A ring on the doorbell and a tall man with a long nose opened the door.

"You called for plumbers?"

"Oh…oh yeah. The tub's back this way."

They were both unsettled by the man's curtness but followed him to the problem. 

"Darn thing doesn't drain."

"Well, hopefully we won't have to take your bathtub apart…heh heh." Apparently Mr. Gronder did not find the joke amusing, so Mario straightened his favorite red cap and cleared his throat. "Should be done in a jiffy." 

The man just grunted and closed the door behind him. Mario made a face and turned to the tub drain, where Luigi was already busy sticking the handle end of his plunger inside. Mario climbed inside the tub with him.

"Oh come on. This guy is paying us by the hour and you take the path of least resistance?"

"You know, you're starting to sound more crooked everyday."

"Relax Weege, it's just a joke." A tense silence, then Mario reached for the plunger. "Here, let me do it."

"Mario, I've got it."

"Give me the plunger."

"Why don't you make me!" Luigi shoved the plunger stick hard into the drain and he felt something give way. "Ha. See? Nothing to it." Before Mario could roll his eyes, the showerhead made a funny squirt sound and water sprayed out. 

"Whoa! That's cold!" Luigi reached out to shut off the water, but before he could grab it, his hand froze in midair, eyes staring in disbelief. "Uh.......M-mario…"

"That water is really cold, Luigi. Shut it off!"

"Mario, look, the drain!" Mario looked and gawked with his brother. The drain, once only two inches wide, was growing larger and larger, gulping down the shower water and looking ready to swallow the plumbers too. Luigi scrambled backwards. "Man, I knew this was a bad idea!" 

Mario backed away and tried escaping out of the tub, but only got as far as one leg before he slipped. He felt a tug on his red overalls and immediately grasped the shower curtain, hoping it could hold him and whatever was clinging to his pant leg. He looked down and saw Luigi, eyes as wide as saucers and the lower half of him already engulfed in the drain.

"Mario!"

"Don't let go!"

"Mario, help!"

He felt his grip on the shower curtain slipping. He shook his head to clear the water away from his eyes and noticed the shower curtain itself slipping off its flimsy plastic rings. "Oh man…"

"Mario!"

"Hold your breath, Luigi!"

"_What?!_"

Too late. The curtain ripped off, and the plumbers were sucked into the drain as it opened its mouth wider, then shrank again, making a sound like the licking of lips. The Marios were gone without a trace.

~*~

Luigi felt like he was riding an amusement park water slide…until he hit the curves. He bounced off the sides with painful grunts, swallowing some water now and then. The ride got really bumpy, and on the verge of unconsciousness he started to believe that everything Mario had told him about the pipe-people was true. Bright sunlight, and the pipe spit him out, sending him rolling to the ground in a puddle of water. Luigi didn't notice his surroundings until after he caught his breath, choking on water. He lay on soft green grass on a hillside; the bluest sky lay above him. 

"Mario?" he croaked. He shook his head to clear his eyes, realizing too late that shaking like that made his vision worse. "Mario where are you?"

"Here," someone answered weakly. Luigi felt a hand on his shoulder, and he jumped a mile high.

"Mario don't do that!"

"Sorry."

"Where are we?"

"I don't know, Luigi…Canada, maybe."

Luigi stood shakily and scanned the horizon. "Does Canada have castles?"

"Umm…some parts, I think."

Luigi nodded numbly, then took notice of the odd bricks and boxes that floated just out of reach. "Does Canada have…these?"

Mario stood up as well, wringing the water out of this cap. "I'm not sure."

Luigi shrugged, shading his eyes and searching deeper. "Hey Mario. This thing looks fake…" He pulled on an innocent looking daisy but dropped it in pain and shook his hand.

"What happened?"

"It...burned me!"

"What?" 

"That flower is hot!"

"Let me try…" Mario scooped it up but couldn't hold it for five seconds without hissing and holding his breath. It fell to the ground a second time. "That's the weirdest thing…"

Both the plumbers jumped when they heard a scream close by.

"What was that?"

"Sounds like it came from down there." Mario pointed to a forest with a trail leading out of it. 

"Sh-should we check it out?" Luigi set his jaw to cover his emotions.

"Yeah…come on." They jogged down the hill and down a valley until they reached the trail. Sounds of struggling and branches snapping made them freeze in their tracks, until Mario grabbed Luigi's arm and dragged him down behind a small pile of bricks. The sounds grew closer and Mario held a finger to his lips.

"Let me go, let me go!"

"It's too late for that now; we're miles from anyone. There's no one who can save you."

"Someone will hear me! Help! Help--" The sounds became muffled by what they assumed was the captors hand over the victim's mouth. Luigi looked almost angry.

"We gotta help that person," he hissed.

"Luigi, this isn't New York. This is probably even more dangerous. You don't know who's out there."

"Well, I'll find out once you get off my arm!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down!"

"Then get off me!"

"You're not going!"

"Who made you my ruler?" Mario was about to spit him a smart and true answer when his ears perked up. "Shh! Shh!"

"What?"

"Listen…I think they're gone."

"Great. My chance to save someone's life has slipped away."

"Stop being so dramatic. We don't know what went on." Slowly, two capped heads peeked out from behind the bricks. 

"Coast is clear."

Mario slumped back against the bricks and sighed in relief. When he opened his eyes he found himself facing a wall of green scales and a bundle of pink crinolin. He slowly looked up, and stared into the eyes of a…

_What in the Sam Hill is **that**?!?_

Mario wasn't sure what to call it. It looked like a cross between an alligator and a turtle, but not quite a dinosaur. It had spike bracelets and a choker, much like what he'd seen punks wearing in the streets, but this thing wasn't from New York. He was beginning to think that they weren't even in Canada. Under one arm he carried a girl dressed in fancy clothes who hung there unconscious.

Mario froze, afraid that if he moved it would swallow him whole. 

"Mario, you should have let me go. I mean, I could have taken that guy...how big could, he...be..." Luigi's chatter slowed and eventually stopped, mouth hanging open as he noticed the monster. The thing actually grinned.

"Well, well, well. Someone in the Mushroom Kingdom who has never been acquainted with me. This should be fun."

A short moment of silence, then Luigi stammered out. "It t-t-talks-s."

"Of course I can talk. You must think I'm some kind of evolutionary amoeba." It grinned, flashing rows of sharp, once-white teeth. "Now you two look interesting…the only other ones I've seen that resemble the Princess…"

"H-he's a p-p-pipe p-person," Luigi whispered in horror. Mario couldn't even nod to agree. 

"…in looks, if not brains," the monster stated, clearly disappointed that neither of them had really spoken up. "Looks like I'll be having more guests tonight."

Luigi gasped a little and started, trying to get up and get the heck out of there. Yet on the other side of the bricks, some funny looking turtles glared at him, holding spears. Submissively he sat back down next to his brother, whose head banged against his, and then everything was black.

~*~

Mario awoke feeling cold with a sore head, and still a little wet from the trip through the pipe. He sat up quickly, not caring that he was behind bars in a dark, dank prison, only caring for his brother.

"Luigi?" he called out in a whispering kind of voice.

"Yeah." His brother sat in the far corner, knees drawn up to his chest, staring at the floor.

"Are you okay?"

"His name is Koopa," Luigi said numbly without really answering. "He's the king around here…well he thinks he is. He's trying to take over both lands so he can rule everything."

"Whoa whoa, slow down. King?"

"Someone in a cell across from us told me all about it. Said that he's been trying to kidnap that Princess we saw so he can have her kingdom. Said that he's been bent on this ever since they can remember. Said that…said that once you come into the prison…you don't come out." Luigi's voice choked a little and he set his jaw again.

"Hey, hey." Mario scooted closer to his brother and put his arm around him. "Don't get like that. It scares me."

"Like what?"

"All….worried and upset…panicked," Mario dared to say. 

Luigi took on the defense before giving up. "I'm not…"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe a little." 

Mario squeezed him closer reassuringly.

"I can't help but think of the pipe-people, Mario."

He grinned weakly. "Yeah me too. Don't worry, it's not them."

"How do you know?"

"Because…I know."

"You told me they weren't real. But sure enough here we are, sucked down this pipe and waiting to get eaten."

"Luigi, don't think like that. I only made them up."

Luigi shivered from his damp clothes, closing his eyes.

"Mario."

"Yeah?"

"…I wanna go home."

"Me too, pal. But we gotta find a way out first."

"…Mario."

"Yeah?"

"…I'm really scared, man."

Mario hadn't heard his brother tell him that since he was ten. At least he had a good reason to; being stuck in a cell by some huge, talking dragon shook up Mario, too. Thinking for a moment, he nudged Luigi's face towards his, looking into his frightened brown eyes.

"Wanna know what mama said after you were born?"

A surprised yet touched look from Luigi replaced any sign of "yes."

"She took you home from the hospital, put you in your crib and just kept staring at you, adoring you. She said, "My, such a brave, beautiful little boy. One day your courage will make you a hero, I just know it." She said that cause you almost didn't make it…but she knew you were strong enough and brave enough to pull through."

Luigi stared at his brother in awe, obviously moved by the story. "Is that really what she said?" he squeaked. Mario held him closer.

"You bet…I remember how jealous it made me."

Luigi breathed a quiet laugh, then leaned his head on his brother's shoulder. "I really do miss them."

"I know you do…you have every right to." 

"She said it wouldn't be forever…she said 'just for a couple of hours'."

Mario took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about last night." 

Luigi shook his head. "It's okay. I really don't remember much anyway." He suddenly sat up straight, blinking away his emotions. "So, if mama said I was brave, then I had better live up to it, hm?"

"Yeah," grinned Mario. "It's not the end of the world. We'll find a way out of this hole and a way back home."

Luigi stood up, inspecting the bars and the wall around them. "There must be a way we can get the keys…or bust the cell." He felt his waist in surprise. "Mario, they took my toolbelt!"

His brother sighed. "Mine too. Oh…wait." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of pliers. "Maybe this could work." Mario slipped his arm through the bars and stuck the sharp end of the tool into the opening of the lock and twisted it hard. After some moments of trying, he gave up. 

"It's not gonna work."

"Great. Now what?"

"You'll never get out!" a small voice called. "Just give up now."

"Shh! Don't say that! We'll get out, you'll see."

The sound of footsteps came nearer, and the Marios backed themselves against the wall behind them. Instead of the fearsome turtle called Koopa, they found a smaller turtle, only half their height, one of the guards they had seen on the hillside. He stared at them accusingly.

"No talking among prisoners."

"I suppose you're going to tell us no breathing, either!" shot back Luigi.

The turtle glared angrily. "You watch yourself, mutant. One wrong word down here and…" the guard ran a finger along his throat, "you won't need to worry about breathing anymore."

Luigi was silenced, but not willingly. The guard noticed Mario. "What are you staring at?"

"Nothing," answered a fidgety Mario.

The guard spoke to Luigi without looking at him. "What's wrong with him?"

Luigi glanced at his brother, then understood completely. "He um…has a mighty need."

"A what?"

"A mighty need."

"Huh?"

"He needs to tinkle, you stupid oaf!" The guard jabbed his spear through the bars threateningly, and Luigi stuck up his hands. 

"I can see that!" he replied. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"Don't these prisons have bathrooms?"

"Oh no, I'm not falling for that one."

"Pleeeeeease?" whined Mario, bouncing on his toes.

"He's really gotta go, man."

"Look, there's nothing I can do!"

Luigi waved him off. "You don't have to answer to that loser Koopa, do you? Come on you're better than that. You're your own man…erm, reptile."

The turtle didn't move, but seemed to be thinking about it.

"Come on, you know you don't have to listen to him."

"…I can't."

"Awe, man!" Mario complained, looking more eager by the second. Luigi shook his head, disappointed.

"Man, you just made a big mistake. I mean, do you know how much coffee this guy had to drink this morning? Think about the mess…whoo! And who's gotta clean it up?"

"Not me!" protested another prisoner.

"Shut up!" the guard yelled, slightly panicked. 

"You have to clean it up, don't you?"

"Um…"

"If I were you, I'd open this door right now, and give this man a toilet."

"I…I don't know…"

"Weege…" Mario groaned.

"Come on! Give this man a toilet!" Luigi yelled, getting nervous.

"All right, all right!" the guard shouted back, hurriedly fumbling with his keys. He found one, the lock snapped, and he swung the door open. "Now, if you come quietly, we can forget this-oof!" Mario's fist caught him in the face and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Wow, Mario! That was _so cool_!" Luigi admired. 

"Thanks," he grinned, not wanting to admit how good it felt. "And thanks for playing along."

"With what?"

"The whole bathroom thing."

"What…you mean you really didn't have-awe, Mario, that's low."

"I know. But it got us out of here. Come on, let's find us a door!"

  
  
  
  
Will our pudgy plumbers find a way out AND a way home--?

Luigi: Hey, I'm not pudgy! Robin Lee: *whispers* I know. It just rhymes well.

Luigi: Ah...

Anyway, tune in next week to find out!


	3. Face Your Fears

Author's Notes: *voice dripping with sarcasm* Oh no! It's been more than a week since I last updated! Aaaahhh!!!

Mario: -_-*

That was _sarcasm_, man. Or, as Chris would say: "sarcasmic!"

Luigi:...I don't get it.

You're not supposed to! You're not worthy enough to know about the jokes! _None_ are worthy!!!!

Mario:....man, she really IS homesick.

It's true, I am! *cries* Anyway, on with the story. I would have posted sooner, but I got tired of waiting for someone to review. *ahem* It gets really good here. ^_^ Enjoy!

  
  
  
  
The Marios tried to ignore the other prisoner's pleas to be set free, but finally Luigi had enough. "Look, if we beat this guy, we'll come back and let you out." Instead of praise, the young apprentice plumber heard groans.

"Forget it."

"You want to beat Koopa?"

"We're stuck here forever."

"Thanks for getting our hopes up."

Luigi stopped, stunned and hurt, but finally relented to Mario's tug on his hand and ran up a set of stairs. 

"Geez, now I know how much confidence they have in us."

"Ignore them, Weege. We'll get outta here. Come on, I think the guard came in this way." Mario opened the door and took a step…wishing he hadn't. Around him was darkness, and underneath him was nothing but thin air. His hands outstretched behind him, grabbing nothing but wind. His heart stopped; he heard someone scream his name. A thousand thoughts filled his head at a mile a minute…and then he felt someone holding his hand. He fell and slammed against a brick wall, his feet clawing at its smooth surface. Catching his breath, he looked up and faced his brother, who leaned over the side and grasped one hand in both of his.

"I gotcha." Luigi's face, although red with the effort of holding his brother, was strangely calm. Mario locked eyes with him, too scared to speak. "I gotcha."

Mario closed his eyes in relief, then opened them again when he realized he hadn't moved. Luigi was straining, but he wasn't strong enough to lift his brother.

"Mario…"

He forced his other hand to clasp the bundle of limbs already growing sweaty. "Luigi?"

"…Mario, I can't pick you up. I can't…" Luigi's voice trembled a little, and Mario looked up at him helplessly.

"Yes you can…"

"I…I can't…"

"It's okay Luigi. You can."

"No, it's not okay!" Luigi cried, losing all control. "I can't pick you up!"

"Weege…"

"Don't let go, Mario."

"Weege, I can't hold on!"

"No, Mario, don't!" Luigi frantically tightened his grip on his brother, heart racing as their hands began to slip apart.

"Luigi!"

"Mario!"

Suddenly the weight on Luigi's arms relaxed but his grip was just as strong. It was as if his brother had become weightless. He stared in awe as Mario rose up from the chasm below, sitting on a strange, small cloud, light as a feather. Just as the cloud evaporated, Luigi yanked his brother towards him and hugged him fiercely. 

"It's never okay," he sobbed. "It would never be okay. Don't ever leave me Mario."

Mario breathlessly embraced Luigi, closing his eyes again.

"I almost lost you. I can't lose you. You're all I've got."

Mario pulled away from him and gave him a small smile. "But you didn't lose me. And you saved someone's life like you wanted." Luigi smiled back, sniffling while Mario brushed away his tears. "You're mama's hero."

"Thanks, Mario." He hugged his brother again. "Let's be more careful with the doors next time, okay? We gotta stick together."

"Sure thing, bro."

~*~

The next few doors they tried were all duds.

"A torcher room?" shivered Luigi in horror. Slam.

"Hey, here's the bathroom," commented Mario. Slam.

Behind the next door was a room full of sleeping guards. In the middle of the bunker was a white box, playing music with its lid open. "Hey, I see our tool belts!" whispered Luigi.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get them."

They softly crept around the slumbering turtles and picked up their tool belts, careful not to make a sound. They had almost succeeded in the raid when Luigi tripped. Holding his breath, he stumbled to the door, almost stepping on three guards. He finally came to a halt in front of the music box, which he nudged with his foot. He breathed a sigh of relief just as the lid shut, stopping the music.

Big mistake.

Most of the turtles began yawning and rubbing their eyes, sitting up.

"Oops." 

"Weege, how many times have I told you to tie your shoelaces?"

Luigi made a leap to the door and slammed it shut before the turtles could get a handle on their weapons. Thinking quickly, Mario pulled out his long wrench and jammed it through the handle of the door, turning the guards into prisoners.

"No problem," boasted Mario, slapping his hands together as if dusting them off. 

"Shh…do you hear that?"

Mario stopped. "Yeah, sounds like crying. It's coming from up there." The brothers made the short climb up another flight of stairs but found the door to be locked. Mario shook the brass handle, and the crying stopped.

"Someone's in there." 

"There's gotta be another way in…up there." Mario pointed to an air vent shaft. "Think we can fit?"

"I know I can," boasted Luigi, rubbing his slim stomach proudly.

"Oh shut up. We can both fit." Luigi gave his brother a boost up and followed Mario, crawling through the tight space. 

"Man, this tunnel's really small," he whispered nervously.

"Hey I think I see a light…"

"…_really_ small."

"It must be that room we tried to get into before."

"Mario I'm not gonna make it. I gotta get out of here."

"What are you talking about?"

"It…it's too cramped in here, dang it! I gotta get out!"

"Come on, Luigi. We're almost there."

"No, no I gotta go back."

"Luigi!"

"Get off me, lemme go!"

"Ouch! Don't bite me, you little punk!"

"Then let me out of here! I'm about to…faint…" The brothers stopped and listened to the ominous creaking of the boards below them.

"Uh oh."

CRACK. With simultaneous yells the brothers crashed through the ceiling and into the room below. Groaning, Luigi held his head in his hands. 

"Mario, if you do _not_ stop eating desert with every meal, I'm a-gonna…"

"Who are you?"

They turned at the soft voice, realizing they had found the source of the crying. A girl kneeled upon a giant bed, her pink gown puffed out around her. She gazed at them carefully, not sure whether the newcomers were spies or rescuers. 

Both the Marios found themselves speechless for a moment or two. Never had they been in the presence of what they assumed was a real Princess…nor a young lady so beautiful. Her long, strawberry-blonde hair extended beyond her shoulders, her crystal blue eyes stared at them curiously. Her button nose was somewhat red from crying, and she sniffled a little. 

"Do you have any names?" she asked warily. Still they sat and stared, until Luigi shook himself.

"Yeah…I'm…I'm…" For a second or two, Luigi thought his name sounded very silly, as did all the girls in junior high. He was about to tell her it was something else when she interrupted.

"Are you spies?"

"No, no!" answered Mario quickly. "We're not spies, we're-"

"Movie stars," interjected Luigi.

"Movie stars?" questioned the Princess.

"Movie stars…honestly, Weege," Mario muttered. "We're plumbers."

"Plumbers?"

"Yeah…plumbers," Luigi sighed, giving up on trying to impress the young lady. 

"I don't know what plumbers are…but now that I know you can talk," she blushed pink just a little. "What are your names?"

"I'm Mario, and this is-"

"Antonio!"

Mario sighed, nudging his brother hard with his elbow. 

"Ouch!"

"His name is Luigi."

"I've never heard such names. You must not be from these parts."

"They're Italian.. And…what exactly are 'these parts'?"

"Well…_this_ is Bowser's castle…" Her eyes misted over. "But I want to go back to the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Wait…I thought his name was Koopa."

"Bowser Koopa, that's right."

"So what is this Mushroom Kingdom?" queried Luigi.

"It is my home. My father is ruling it now, but someday I will be Queen."

"Imagine that," sighed Luigi, dreaming of sharing the throne with such a beauty.

"I would give anything to get out of this awful place…he's so horrible."

"Did he hurt you?" demanded Mario. He was always defensive of girls in distress.

"N-no…but…"

"But what?"

She tearfully pointed with a shaky finger at a pristine white gown. "He…he wants me to marry him!" Here the girl buried her face in her hands, weeping terribly.

Mario and Luigi were at a loss. "That's…that _is_ horrible," agreed the younger in disgust. Mario said nothing.

Luigi turned suddenly, whispering excitedly. "Mario, this could be our chance! We'll save the Princess and take her home! We can both be mama's heroes!"

"Luigi…"

"Come on, Mario. I'm not the only hero. I remember-"

The Princess gasped and interrupted. "Someone's coming! Hide!"

Scrambling about for a second or two, the plumbers quickly found shelter under the giant bed. The massive door opened, and two pairs of turtle feet stepped inside.

"Come on, Princess. Time to go."

"Go where?" she whispered fearfully.

"To see your husband of course," they snickered. Mario ground his teeth angrily, then glanced at Luigi, nodding once. Understanding instantly, they each pulled their plungers from a hook on their belts and swung. The turtle feet disappeared, and as the brother's climbed out from under the bed, the turtles were flat on their round backs. (A cruel irony if I ever wrote one.)

"Hey! What are you doing in here?" they cried. 

"Kicking your butts and saving the Princess," grinned Luigi, kicking them to the far wall. They smacked into it loudly and hid in their shells.

"Come on, let's go," hurried Mario, grabbing the Princess's fair hand in his own calloused one. He tried to ignore the flush that rose to his face, hoping it would go away on it's own. Swallowing hard as they ran through the dark hallways, he led the girl and his brother out of the dungeon and into a large hall whose floor looked like a checkerboard. The air around them soon became less dank and dark, and just when they thought they were on their way home…

BAM. They ran right into the problem. 

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my sweetheart and her kidnappers. If I didn't know any better I'd swear you thought you were her guardian angels," Bowser sneered.

The Marios were still not adjusted to the horrible spectacle of Koopa, so when they buckled under the sight of him, the delay was enough to let the giant turtle backhand Mario, sending him flying across the room. 

"Mario!" Luigi screamed as the Princess cried out. He watched his brother fall unconscious, then turned to face the beast. For that moment all fear in him was erased. "You don't do that to my brother!" In a blind rage he swung wildly with his plunger, which was easily caught within Bowser's enormous claws. A crunching sound was heard as the tool was wrenched from Luigi's hand. The young man felt his courage dwindle as he was drowning in fear.

"Tsk tsk. Little children's toys. Let me show you how I play." Bowser tossed the plunger aside and grabbed Luigi's neck, swiftly lifting him into the air. The plumber opened his mouth, gasping for air, his wiry hands clutching Bowser's, his legs dangling three feet above the ground. His eyes were wide in fear as he stared directly at the monster grinning back at him.

"Your brother can't save you now…" He turned his head, looking annoyed. The Princess, desperately trying to overcome her own fear and desperately trying to be saved, was beating Bowser with her dainty fists.

"Leave them alone!"

A quick swat of the hand and there were two down for the count. Luigi kicked his feet, struggling to breath as he stared at Bowser, certain he had never been so scared in his life, and certain that he would never see the light of day again.

"I don't know who you are or how you came here…but I'll see to it that you two are never seen again…"

_Mario, please get up_

"…I don't know why you even tried…"

_Mario I need you_

"Who do you think you are, anyway? Some kind of heroes?"

In what little time Luigi had left, the question made him think. Even if they didn't bring the Princess home safely, even if the Marios were never heard of again, they still faced up to Bowser without a thought. Luigi supposed he had found the answer.

"…yes," Luigi wheezed, the shape of Bowser's head becoming nothing but a swirl as his eyes started to roll. 

Bowser narrowed his eyes at the young man's defiant remark, tightening his grip. Luigi's hands grew limp, and his eyes began to close. 

_I remember…I remember when you saved me at the beach; I swam out too far…if it weren't for you I would have drowned. I remember mama telling me you were a hero. You're mama's hero, too, Mario._

……

Mario please get up

Then, as if by some cosmic power…as if by the strongest bonds of brotherly love that stir amazing things… Mario seemed to hear Luigi's thoughts, and he roused dizzily on the floor, blinking hard and holding his jaw.

Bowser smiled out of the side of his mouth, happy to watch the young man's head fall to the side. His malicious glee was broken when a brick hit him in the head. He growled and clutched his skull in pain, then turned to find the mischief maker.

"You," he sneered. Another brick, smack between the eyes. As Mario tossed another weapon to himself, he reminded himself how lucky he was to have been the best pitcher in high school baseball.

Enraged, Bowser tossed Luigi aside and easily gained speed on the simple plumber. As Mario's pride faded, he hurled his last brick and took some steps backwards. "Yeah, it's me. Come and get me, you…you…" Mario had never been good with name-calling. "…you!"

He was distracted when he noticed Luigi coughing and gasping on the floor…breathing and alive. His relief quickly turned back into fear when he realized he'd let Bowser get too close, and the claws had already grazed him before he could dodge. He cringed in pain, holding his stomach and still backing away.

"You think you two are heroes?" Bowser Koopa bellowed. "You're nothing but pests; pitiful babies sent here from some God-forsaken place to try…_try_ to ruin my ultimate plan!" Another swing with his massive hand, and Mario hopped out of the way, backing himself into a nasty situation. "But you won't succeed. No one has _ever_ faced me and lived!" he roared, looking ready to breathe fire. Finally, to Mario's surprise…he _did._

Mario raced to the side to avoid the scorching flames, tripped and finished with a roll. Staggering up to stand, the leaned against a wall, hugging himself and swallowing hard. He glanced down at his sleeves, soaked with blood. The monster stepped nearer, grinning smugly, noticing how Mario was cornered between two walls.

Mario noticed this too, and groaned hopelessly. With every step Bowser took on advancing him, he felt more and more dread rest on his shoulders. Glancing at a mixture of pink and green, he saw his brother helping the Princess to stand. 

"Go! Go!" he shouted. _Maybe Luigi can escape…he can take the Princess home, he can still make it……at least I faced my fears._

Then his keen senses noticed something beneath him was not right. Looking down, he saw how the white and black tiled floor dipped down just slightly beneath his weight. He lightly tapped his foot, listening to the hollow sound it made. Staring now at how the earth's very foundations shook beneath the weight of each step the giant turtle took, he put two and two together and realized there was still some hope.

"Hey Bowser!" he called brazenly, forcing himself to stand straight. "What makes you think _we_ won't succeed?"

Eyes wild, the turtle chuckled a bit. "Maybe you didn't notice the crispy side of the prison while you were down there."

"No one has ever faced you and lived, huh? We'll just see about that!" he dared as Bowser stepped even closer. So close that Mario could smell the sulfur in his breath.

Snarling in rage, the giant mutant lowered himself for leverage before jumping high in the air. Expecting just this, Mario pushed himself off the wall and made a dive out of the target spot. Landing heavily on his side just as a loud crunch resounded, he pushed himself up and watched Bowser's reaction to the cracks growing larger underneath his scaly feet. His head whipped up, and his fiery eyes met Mario's victorious ones just before the floor buckled and gave way, and Bowser's roar beyond the depths was all that remained.

He simply stood, fists still clenched, staring at the hole in the floor until two hands grabbed him from behind.

"Mario…you did it!" Luigi exclaimed, still breathless. Mario grinned widely.

"No, Weege. We did it. No way I could have done this without you."

Luigi smiled back, and his eyes flicked away for a moment, staring over Mario's shoulder. The eldest brother turned around and faced the beautiful angel whom was only known as Princess. She looked at him adoringly, gratefully.

"You have saved my life…and your brother's as well." Luigi grinned sheepishly. Mario didn't know what to say. 

"It…wasn't the first time…for him, I mean. My brother…" He stammered senselessly, smitten by the beauty. He thought his heart did some jumping jacks when he leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. 

"And it shan't be the last," she declared. "I want both of you to stay and protect me…and my Kingdom. That is…" she added more shyly, "if you wouldn't mind."

"Whoa…a Princess's body guard," whispered Luigi, stunned by this piece of news. "I don't know…I mean…Mario and I need to find a way home, and…Mario, are you okay?"

The eldest brother stared into thin air, swaying a little and looking pale as he held his stomach. "Mario, what's wrong?" worried Luigi. He noticed the blood that blended into his brother's red overalls, and his face was white as a sheet. "Oh man…oh Mario don't do this…" 

He closed his eyes; his swirling vision was useless. Barely able to stand, he felt his little brother help him to the floor. Felt him hugging him, holding him carefully yet possessively. He heard Luigi's voice, husky and panicked, in his ear. "Mario, don't do this, not now-" The voice stopped momentarily, then continued, more controlled and comforting. "You'll be okay. Just stick with me."

"Oh, Mario," the angelic voice of the Princess whispered.

"We gotta stick together, remember? You'll be okay. Don't worry."

Mario hoped he was right as a wave of pain washed over him and day turned into night.


	4. Final Fates

Author's Note: Uh oh. I'm long overdue for an update. Well, erm, not compared to some...what do ya'll think? Should I torture you guys some more and make ya wait?

Reader: Yes!! I'm not even reading it anyway!

Aw, you're mean. Just for that I'm gonna post my update. My last. Stinking. Chapter. It's cheesy too, but what would a Robin-Lee-last-fanfic-chapter be like without the cheese? ^_^

Reader: Rather nice!

*blows a rasberry then hurls her shoes.* Who asked you, you dirty bum?? O_o Ah, anyways...finally posting this after I left for yet another week...sigh...a summer without Mario is like a summer without tie-dyed monkeys. :-(

  
  
  
  
"So…" Mario began nervously, twirling his forefinger around his thumb. "I was wondering if you'd like to…ya know…hang out more…like this…sometime…"

A bright brunette next to him smiled from ear to ear. "I don't know," she replied shyly. "I had a lot of fun…but I'm not sure if I'm ready to date."

"Parents?" queried Mario.

She shook her head, her short, thin hair bouncing. "No, I just don't feel ready."

"Oh." He felt his hopes slipping away like sand through a sieve. "Well, there's no rush, ya know. I was just wondering."

The girl kept smiling as they walked along the sidewalk. 

"Linda…"

"Yes Mario?" She stopped walking to look at him. Mario felt unnerved by this action, but continued anyway. 

"Umm," he began, clearing his throat. Boy, his hands were sweaty tonight. More so than usual. "I uh…was still wondering if you'd go to the Spring formal with me, it's next week and I know it's last minute but I wasn't sure you'd want to go--"

"Oh, Mario I do!" she said enthusiastically. He kept rambling anyway, looking at the sidewalk in the fading sunlight.

"Sorry it's last minute, I hope you can get a dress and everything if you still wanna go with me, I mean there are lots of other guys like Tom and…and Abe…"

"Mario," Linda laughed, lightly placing her paws on his shoulders. "Didn't you hear me? I said I would go."

He stared at her blankly for some moments, feeling foolish and stupid, then finally managed an embarrassed grin."Oh…well, that's good."

She smiled at him again…golly, did she smile a lot, but Mario loved the way it made her cheeks lift to her bright green eyes. He noticed her hands on his shoulders pointedly, and she drew away quickly. Everything in Mario's world suddenly didn't exist; all he saw was Linda. Carefully, he reached out and clasped both her hands in his between them. Feeling anxious and excited and as if someone had sucked all the air from his lungs at the same time, he leaned forward slowly to give her a kiss.

Their lips met, and for five seconds there was magic in Mario's life. That is, until an acorn popped him in the head. "Owe!" he complained, rubbing the sore spot.

"Ouch!" Linda cried as another pelted her neck.

"Mario and Linda, sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!"

Mortified, Mario realized that they were right outside his apartment, and his kid brother Luigi was singing to high heaven in the tiny oak tree…let alone loud enough for the street to hear.

"First comes love…"

"Luigi!" Mario growled.

"Then comes marriage…then comes somethin' in the baby carriage!"

"Luigi!" he shouted angrily. "When I get through with you, you're gonna be kissin' the worms…_six feet under!_"

Linda gasped, horrified that Mario would say such a thing, and thoroughly embarrassed by the song. Mario turned and saw her expression. Her face went deadpan as she let go of his hands.

"Bye Mario," she murmured. Mario watched her leave, looking hurt, betrayed, shocked and hopeless all at once. His hands finally dropped to his side, and he turned, enraged into the house.

"Mom!" he hollered, stomping through the kitchen. 

"Mario, you sound like an angry elephant…and look like one too."

"Mom," he began, still fuming but looking quite serious. "We're selling Luigi and buying a dog like I wanted."Anna laughed a little, unsure whether he was joking or not, but judging from his expression that he was quite angry. "Mario, we can't sell your brother."

"Then let's leave him in a box on the street. People in the city do that with cats all the time."

"Mario! Your brother is not a cat!" The front door jiggled a little then was banged upon as whining ensued. "Hey, let me in!" 

"You locked him out?" asked Anna incredulously, taking off her apron and going to open the door.

"All six years of him."

"Mario..."

"Why shouldn't I? He's a rat, and a peeping tom, and a…" Mario felt overwhelmed almost to the point of tears. That is, until he saw his brother come through the door.

"You little spy, I'll kill you!"

"Mario, don't say things like that!" commanded Anna as Luigi hid behind his mother's skirt.

"Mom, he humiliated me in front of Linda Dayle! The girl who actually accepted my invitation to the formal! Now she probably won't even talk to me since this little rat scared her off!"

"I'm not a rat!" Luigi protested, starting to cry.

"Luigi, is this true?" asked Anna, staring into his eyes in a way only a mother can. Guilty as charged, Luigi nodded as his bottom lip trembled.

"Oh fine, start with the waterworks. Don't get punished and get desert with dinner tonight. You really know how to score with mom, ya know that?"

"Shut up!" the little boy cried.

"Luigi!"

"You shut up!" Mario shot back, pointing at his little brother. "I never thought you could sink this low Luigi, but this has to be the most terrible thing you've done to me!" To his mother, Mario let a tear slide down his cheek. "I might have had a chance, mama. She could have liked me…she could have _loved_ me…I don't meet girls like that everyday." To a hiccupping Luigi he hurled. "Yeah, you hear that? Pretty girls don't grow on trees for your older brother! You want to do something nice for him? Go back to the ocean and drown! Cause right now I wish I had never saved you!" 

Slap. Mario slowly reached a hand to cup his cheek in utter shock as he watched his mother's face transform from horrified at what he'd said to horrified what she had done. She covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes searching Mario's, the only sound was Luigi's quiet sobbing.

_Mario I'm sorry for em…emberra…ember…_

Stop mumbling, I can't hear you.

…I'm sorry for…embirating you in front of Linda.

The word is embarrassing.

Well, I'm sorry.

Yeah, me too.

…Mario?

What?

…Do you still want me drowned?

…

…cause I don't remember how to get to the beach, and…

Hey, hey, stop that. Come here…

…an' I'm scared to ask mama for a map…

No, don't go to mama, don't go to the beach.

I'm s-sorry!

Shh, I know you are, come on, stop crying.

I don't want you to hate me!

I don't hate you.

Yes you do.

Do not.

Do too.

No, Weege, I don't. Because if I did, I wouldn't be forgiving you like I am.

…Forgiving?

Yeah. I think it's cool that you said you're sorry, but I don't want you pulling that stunt again, okay?

Okay. I won't.

No more tears.

No more tears…

When Mario opened his eyes, the world around him looked fuzzy, as if he suddenly needed glasses. After blinking several times, the colors about him began to take shape, and he found himself lying on a humongous, ornate bed in a richly furnished room. Blinking some more, he felt strangely strong and well-rested, but upon trying to sit up he lay back down, cringing a little.

"Hey, hey, don't do that." His little brother's voice was softer than usual, and Mario noticed him for the first time, sitting by his side. "Just relax."

"What happened--" Mario almost regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. He didn't need reminding of their enounter with Bowser. Luigi understood.

"You just passed out…but your chest was messed up pretty bad, man." A nervous sigh. "Good thing these doctors around here know what they're doing."

Passed out. Mario thought he'd died and gone to Hell…or the land of worst memories after the dream he'd just had. "Where am I?"

"The Princess's castle." Luigi could not hide his enthusiasm over this fact, and it showed in his smile. "You've gotta see the rest of this place, it's incredible. It's gotta be bigger than the one in Disneyland…and it's even got tennis courts!"

Mario forged a half-hearted smile, not caring much for castles, tennis, or even Princesses at the moment. 

"What's wrong?" Luigi dared. Mario gazed at him carefully, awkwardly.

"I want you to know…I love you."

Luigi grinned nervously. "Ah, Mario. Don't get all sentimental and weepy on me."

"I mean it, Luigi. I'm…I'm lucky to have someone like you for a brother." 

Luigi's smile faded slowly. "Mario, I…"

"I mean it. And I'm...I'm not sorry I saved you...at the beach." Mario looked down at the blanket, then glanced up, shame in his eyes.

Luigi froze, but his expression showed confusion, sadness and joy all at once. 

"I mean it, Weege."

Luigi looked up and stared into his brother's eyes. It was at this point that both brothers were secretly and separately convinced they shared a mental connection.

"So...you really don't hate me?" asked Luigi.

"No," Mario smiled knowingly. "If I hated you, I wouldn't have burned all the roadmaps."

Luigi laughed softly, then held his brother in a firm embrace, burying his face in his shoulder. "You had me scared, man."

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not. You just like to see me cry."

The door creaked open a bit, and Mario looked over Luigi's head.

"Augh!" he cried out in fright, then yelped in pain after trying to hide himself too quickly under the covers.

"What? What is it?" Luigi turned around, and relaxed into a smirk. "Oh, it's just Toad."

"What?!" demanded Mario in fright. "Who?"

A shy, extremely short…thing entered the room. Basically, it looked like a mushroom with arms and legs and a mouth. His features were like that of a young boy, and even though it wasn't frightful like the turtles, it was odd to say the least.

"His name is Toad, he's the Princess's right hand man. Ain't that right, kid?"

"Yeah…I mean yes." He glanced at Mario, then deposited a tray of food on the dresser and scurried out as fast as his legs would carry him. 

"That…was the weirdest thing I've ever seen."

"Relax, Mario. They're all over the place. That's why they call it the Mushroom Kingdom. The Princess and the King are the only ones that look what we consider normal around here."

Mario shook his head. "I guess I'm not as acclimated as you are yet."

"Which…raises my next topic," Luigi said hesitantly.

"Uh oh."

"The Princess said she needed someone to protect her…and her kingdom."

No answer.

"She really wants us to do it."

"No way."

"Mario…"

"Luigi, I just-"

"No, hey. Listen up." Luigi interrupted firmly. "I know it sounds crazy…but what do we have to go back to? We've got no family…except each other."

"We have a plumbing business."

"Ah, that was dragging in pennies anyway." Mario stared at his brother as if he'd lost his mind. "And after explaining to the Princess what plumbers were, she said she's got some ancient pipes in the basement that need a lot of work."

"Ancient?"

"She'll pay us handsomely."

Mario sighed, but didn't answer. 

"…she really does like you," enticed Luigi. Mario looked at him from the corners of his eyes, half convinved but stuff hopefull.

"Really now."

"Yep. She can't wait to see you, but wants to wait until you're better; she's too shy to come in."

Mario smiled a smile that he hadn't used since his first kiss. "Not jealous?"

A shrug. "…Nah. I won't even spy on you this time. She's all yours, bro."

~*~

Miraculously enough, Mario was completely healed in two days time with the help of simply eating mushroom plants, which he found repulsive at first since the population was made of the little guys. Soon he was able to walk about like nothng had happened. The brothers were given three days to make a decision. On the third day Mario finally saw the Princess again when they entered the throne room for a private audience with the King.

The King was a funny shaped man with a bushy white beard all around his chubby, cheerful face. "So, you boys have come to tell us your answer?" He reminded them of a grandfather or a kind elderly neighbor.

"Yes sir…I mean majesty." Luigi shook his head and blinked hard, an action he commonly performed after embarrassing mistakes. The Princess hid a giggle behind her hand.

"And what is your decision?"

The Princess held her breath, anxiously waiting for the answer she hoped for. The longer she looked at the shorter, older plumber, the more interesting she found him and discovered she couldn't bear to part with him so soon. She found herself blushing and looked at her feet, feeling silly and foolish but at the same time excited. She glanced up and caught Mario's eyes, awaiting their answer. And the plumbers, the Mario brothers…the heroes…whipped out the tools of their trade from their belts and replied, "Show us your pipes, first."

"Then we'll save the kingdom."

Both of them understanding the responsibility and commitment that their life-changing decision meant, both of them understanding the true meaning or heroism, loyalty and courage, both of them knowing that Bowser or anyone would return and cause havoc through-out the kingdom, they took the job, and since then have earned the title "the Super Mario Brothers."

  
  
  
  
Aaaaahhh....cheese. In the words of my good friend: I like cheese. Cheese is good. ^_^ Do we all like cheese? I hope so, cause this is the way my story ends. Expect more from me in...two weeks? I dunno...I think I'll go in strike if my favortire authors don't update soon. Who wants to hold a demonstration? ^_^ Goodnight you beautiful people you! 


End file.
